Sunday, 25 April 2010

The sun has well and truly got its hat on, as well as the rest of its holiday clothes, and toddled off somewhere else. Still I'll try and bring some musical sunshine in the shape of "Where the action Is". As usual we'll play two rounds of the Connect 3 game, we'll celebrate the birthday of songwriter Michael Brown and this week's foreign language track comes from Gillian Hills. There's also the half-time instrumental, the Trojan Mod Reggae track (still no suggestions for a groovy name for this feature?) and there's Two of a Kind from Nino Tempo and April Stevens. I'll also be playing another track from the brand new Jackie Leven album, "Gothic Road". For the last time we'll feature tracks from the Sunshine Pop edition of the Chartbusters USA series, "The Laurie Records Story" and "Phil's Spectre II: Another Wall of Soundalikes". Here are this week's dishes - tuck in:

If you're in the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, you can tune in on channel 3 on your hospital bedside or on 1287AM on the Medium Wave.

That's it for this week. Next week will be a self-indulgent Birthday special as it's the day before my big day. I'll be playing tracks by artists who have Paul in their name, or songs/artists about cats (because I'm "The Cat") and a few birthday/party tracks. Until then, it's good day and good health.

Sunday, 18 April 2010

It's back to VRN after a week of sunshine in beautiful Strathyre. We'll play two rounds of the Connect 3 game, we'll celebrate the birthday of Manfred Mann multi-instrumentalist Mike Vickers and this week's foreign language track comes from Sandie Shaw. There's also the half-time instrumental, the Trojan Mod Reggae track (any suggestions for a groovy name for this feature?) and there's Two of a Kind from Reparata, with and without the Delrons. We'll also play a track from the brand new Jackie Leven album, "Gothic Road". This month's shows will feature tracks from the Sunshine Pop edition of the Chartbusters USA series, "The Laurie Records Story" and "Phil's Spectre II: Another Wall of Soundalikes". This week's delights:

Sunday, 11 April 2010

After the trauma of the HBA awards and the chocolate-flavoured goings-on of the Easter weekend, it's back to normality and the usual mix of mod, soul, Motown, alternative pop and a veritable cornucopia of classic cuts from the late 50s through to the early 70s. This month's shows will feature tracks from the Sunshine Pop edition of the Chartbusters USA series, The Laurie Records Story and "Phil's Spectre II: Another Wall of Soundalikes". Eyes down for a full house:

Monday, 5 April 2010

The second annual Paul Haig Day is almost upon us (Here's last year's choice). As I'll be back to work tomorrow and won't be able to post until late in the day I'm going to post my selection now, a few hours early.

For those who don't know, Paul Haig Day came about from an idea by JC at the excellent Vinyl Villain blog.

What this means, in English, is that this law is being used to not only remove the "offending" mp3s they consider to be posted illegally but the blogs hosting them aswell. The problem with this is that the DMCA is being used indiscriminantly to target people, including those who either own the songs they're linking to or have permission from those who own the tracks. This also means that America owns the Interweb, but you knew that, right?

Paul Haig has once again kindly given permission for one or more of his tracks to be posted on blogs and this year I've chosen the 12" mix of "The Only Truth", co-produced by Paul Haig, Bernard Sumner (New Order) and Donald Johnson (A Certain Ratio).

By all means, download these tracks, that's what it's there for, but if it whets your appetite for more music from Scotland's best kept secret then go to his website and/or Amazon store, which are linked below. Paul Haig's Wikipedia page is pretty comprehensive and you can find out about "The Only Truth" HERE.

"Trip Out the Rider" will also be released as a 7" single later in the year and will feature a very special collaborator.

He Was Such a Quiet Boy by Trips and FallsHello, apologies for the spam once more, but I thought you might be interested in a copy of our latest release: He Was Such a Quiet Boy by Montreal band Trips and Falls. They sent me this last year and I absolutely loved it, but like so many bands, they weren't exactly pushing their own publicity all that hard, so after six months of no-one else really discovering this band I decided fuck it, I would ask if I could release it on Song, by Toad Records.

Fortunately they said yes, and here it is. Chris from the Brothers Grimm did the artwork for the new release, and we hand-pressed three-hundred copies in the house, before sending them back to Montreal for the band's launch party. It's strange, creepy guitar music but it's really compelling. As Chris Buckle wrote in the Skinny: "Their woozy experiments sound like a band that decided to play their instruments backwards and blindfolded – and discovered it worked."

Saturday, 3 April 2010

Due to a family engagement on Easter Sunday, I've already recorded this show for broadcast on that day. I don't particularly like recording them in advance as I prefer the warts-and-all live approach but when needs must, the devil drives. Monday 5 April would have been Joe Meek's 81st birthday and to commemorate the legendary maverick producer, here's a show dedicated to Joe Meek (although the regaulr features have been kept in):

As there are no songs beginning with X and Z, this week was the last in the A to Z of the Beach Boys series and John Holt's "Ali Baba" previews our new weekly Trojan Mod Reggae track, which takes its place. Until next week, when normal (live) service resumes, it's good day and good health.

Thursday, 1 April 2010

Gerry Loves Records is a brand new label based in Edinburgh, releasing vinyl and download singles by their favourite up and coming artists. Their first release is a split single from Conquering Animal Sound and Debutant, released on 5th April 2010.

At Gerry Loves Records we love the intimate feel you get of an artist and their music through vinyl pressings. To us there is nothing quite like buying vinyl - unwrapping it when you get home, carefully taking it out of the sleeve, delicately laying it on your turntable and placing the needle on the record before waiting for that first hiss.

To celebrate our love of all things vinyl and encourage listeners to embrace it, the vinyl version of the single includes not only a free downloads of both tracks but also a second exclusive track from each artist. These extra bonus tracks are only available to download with the vinyl purchase.

Find out more and pre-order the single at http://gerrylovesrecords.com

To launch the label and the single, a mini tour is planned for the beginning of April:

Debutant is one man, a guitar and a voice. Although he writes and sings songs, he’s certainly not a singer-songwriter in the traditional sense. Think dreamy pop songs augmented by textured atmospheric soundscapes. Or something like that.

Having plied his trade in bands, Phillip began writing songs and compositions that didn’t suit the style of the bands he was in. So he purchased a loop pedal and figured he’d do it all himself. He played his first set in April 2008 and has since played with artists such as Glissando, Meursault, Immanu El, Ballboy, Over the Wall, Copy Haho, David Grubbs, Viking Moses, The Pictish Trail, Vessels, Found, The Xcerts and Hugh Cornwell.

Debutant loops and layers guitars, creating shimmering atmospheres over which he adds delicate, breathless and dreamy vocals. The songs are deceptively simple yet affecting. Having relocated to Edinburgh in 2009, 2010 will see Debutant release a full-length album.

"Debutant's music ignores genres altogether, sounding something like what would happen if Mark Kozelek and Kevin Shields had an afternoon, a spare room and a multitude of ideas. Definitely worth checking out live" - isthismusic?

"This is beautiful; four basic home-made lo-fi bedroom recordings – delicate, basic, fractured, dreamy, creamy and very simple. Uncluttered and turning the lo-fi option and the basic equipment on to a warm positive vibrant less is so much more piece of beauty. Four dreamy textured lo-fi pieces/songs" - Organ Magazine: Demo of the Week

"Nostalgic sounds of comfort echo in the best track on this EP of demos, 'Solitude': stunning. The smooth composition drains all worries away, landscapes and the sky become your comforting friends. Yes the guy possesses the voice to do that, comfort you." - Crumbs in the Butter

Conquering Animal Sound is made up of Anneke Kampman and James Scott. A musical project in it’s infancy but one that is filled with much promise and potential. Already making great waves within the musical community of Edinburgh their live show is something of awe-inspiring greatness, creating loops, beats and samples out of anything and everything with Anneke’s sumptuous vocal’s carrying the sounds to what seems like a new world. A debut album is in the works - set to be released via Gizeh Records/Mini50 later in the year. Big things are predicted for the band in 2010.

"Meticulously built up vocal, laptop and electric guitar loops that evolve into spookily charming minimalist incantations." - The List

"Kampman’s gorgeous intone floats telepathically into the tapestry of guitar and loops created by Scott. Recalling the minimalistic dalliances of Scandinavian progressives Múm, CAS are quite unlike anything you’ll hear in Scotland today" - The Scotsman

Hinterland kicks off the festival season for 2010 in Glasgow this Saturday offering six headline acts and more than 20 other live performances for only £15. Full times on stage for all bands are now announced below. Each main venue is hosted by one of our partners so don't miss.....

Radio Magnetic'smain stage at The Arches featuring Joe Goddard, British Sea Power and Mystery Jets. Lucky Me and Ballers host the dance arch with Cooly G headlining, Moshi Moshi's takeover Macsorleys and Gigwise host The Admiral.

Tigerfest has announced its lineup for May 2010. It’s another top-notch collection of acts combining some of Scotland’s top talent, with established names and future stars alongside some appearances from favourites from far and wide.

The mini-festival, which runs for three weeks, takes in shows in Dunfermline, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, running in conjunction with its affiliates Baby Tiger, the Carnegie Hall, Interesting Music Promotions, and online/media partner is this music?

There’s also a clutch of co-promotions with partners such as Electric Circus and the Cabaret Voltaire, plus the Fence and 17seconds labels.

Highlights:

Dunfermline:

Malcolm Middleton - one-off show as the former Arab Strap man interrupts his hiatus of recording and writing. Joined by Spare Snare, Dundonian lo-fi legends.

King Creosote - currently embarking on a one-man tour of England, this exclusive Scottish leg also includes Fence labelmate Rozi Plain and Edinburgh’s upcoming star Withered Hand.

Also, part of ‘Celebrating Fife 2010' - a triple bill of Ambulances, Vertis and Crayons, three of Scotland’s most promising acts, and all from the Kingdom.

Aberdeen:

Special one-off gig sees The Unwinding Hours - former Aereogramme members and perhaps already makers of Scottish album of the year - perform, with support from Katerwaul.

Edinburgh

This year the focus is on the capital with a total of seven shows and 20 acts performing during the first two weeks of May. Top of the bill is hard to say - with indie legend Martin Stephenson, reformed 80s act TV21, and the best in new talent including There Will Be Fireworks, Jesus H. Foxx, X-Lion Tamer, The Gothenburg Address and Chris Bradley.

Briefing and background:

Tigerfest has run since 2004 as a regular independent festival of new music. Originated in Edinburgh by promoter Baby Tiger, it expanded to feature showpiece gigs in Dunfermline and take in towns and cities across Scotland. It has seen bands such as Idlewild, King Creosote, Emma Pollock, Malcolm Middleton, Half Man Half Biscuit, Nouvelle Vague and Camera Obscura perform as well as promoting early gigs by KT Tunstall and We Were Promised Jetpacks, and giving acts such as Frightened Rabbit and Dananananaykroyd headline shows.